Mobile networks involve a very large number of components ranging from Radio Network Controllers to Gateway GPRS Support Nodes (GGSNs) with numerous firewalls, routers and other devices. Data services through mobile networks, of whatever underlying technology, remain a relatively recent development. Given this, mobile carriers are still developing procedures and tools to allow them to monitor, tune and upgrade these data networks.
Typically carriers are able to implement a wide range of monitors and probes into the infrastructure of the packet core to monitor its performance. However there is no current way to provide ongoing monitoring of the “user experience” where the data network is concerned. A user's experience of data services can vary widely according to location and a various numbers of other factors. For example, a network packet core could be performing extremely well, but if the cell towers are aligned incorrectly then many users in a particular area could experience poor network performance. Providing a consistent user experience in this environment is problematic given the lack of visibility beyond the packet core.
Clearly it would be advantageous to provide a monitoring tool that is capable of providing data on the performance of a network beyond the packet core. It would also be advantageous to provide a monitoring tool which may be deployed as a hidden payload to a carrier supplied mobile messaging client, so as to permit a large volume of tests to be performed across the entire network.